Program Overview

Department of Political Science

The Department of Political Science at UCSD is one of the top 10 in the country and home to leading scholars who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, methodologies, and approaches.

Graduate Program

The PhD program in Political Science at the University of California, San Diego is consistently recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation. We are also rated #1 in overall graduate student satisfaction in a recent National Doctoral Program Survey.

• The primary goal of the program is to prepare scholars to teach and conduct research at major research universities.
• Each year, from 15-20 new graduate students enter the program and spend an average of five years earning the PhD.
• The training and mentoring provided has prepared students to land rewarding jobs at the world's best universities and colleges.
• With over forty faculty members and eleven adjunct professors engaged in graduate teaching, we maintain a small ratio of students to faculty.
• This allows for close faculty supervision of graduate education and fosters an ethos of mentoring and collaboration.
• Graduate seminars are small and students have ample opportunity to become involved in collaborative research projects with faculty from across the subfields of contemporary political science.

First-Year Curriculum

• The First-Year Curriculum for all incoming PhD students includes two quarters of courses in Analytic Theory (203A-B) and two quarters of Research Methods (204A-B) courses.
• An Integrated Workshop is also offered, designed to promote intellectual engagement and conversations across fields, to better prepare students to conduct research that scholars across fields will care about.

Program Design

• The graduate program is designed to break down barriers and build bridges across the subfields and give all students a broad command of the discipline as a whole, regardless of their area of specialization.
• The program includes a required First-Year Curriculum for all incoming PhD students, composed of two quarters of courses in Analytic Theory and two quarters of Research Methods courses.
• The Integrated Workshop promotes intellectual engagement and conversations across fields, preparing students to conduct research that scholars across fields will care about.

Undergraduate Program

• The Department offers a general political science major along with eight areas of concentration: American politics, comparative politics, data analytics, international relations, political theory, public law, public policy, and race, ethnicity, and politics.
• Two minors are also available.
• The undergraduate program includes:
  • Office Hours (Staff, Faculty, and TAs)
  • Academic Advising Information
  • Major and Minor Requirements
  • Accelerated Pathway to USD Law Program
  • Political Science Courses
  • New and Prospective Students
  • OSD Accommodations
  • Study Abroad for Political Science
  • Internship Opportunities
  • Research Opportunities
  • Law and Politics
  • Senior Honors Program & Pi Sigma Alpha
  • Careers & Graduate School
  • Political Science Student Association & Events
  • Scholarship, Grant, and Fellowship Opportunities
  • Alumni Spotlight
  • Alumni Mentor Program
  • Supplementary Instructional Resources
  • Undergraduate Awards

Research

• The Department conducts research in various areas, including:
  • Racial and Ethnic Politics Research
  • Social Media and Political Action

Law and Politics Initiative

• The Law and Politics Initiative includes:
  • Director
  • Public Law Courses
  • The Initiative at Work
  • Get Involved
  • Resources

Contact and Support

• The Department can be contacted through the Student Affairs Manager or the Graduate Coordinator.
• Support for the Department can be provided through gift donations.